Katie Holmes joins 'Jack and Jill' comedy

Yes, Katie Holmes is still acting, and she's currently in negotiations to star in Dennis Dugan's upcpoming Columbia Pictures comedy "Jack and Jill," which also stars Adam Sandler and Al Pacino.

THR says Sandler plays Jack, a family man who struggles to deal with his sister when she visits and won't leave. Here comes the shocker: Sandler will play both characters. Holmes plays Jack's wife.

Katie Holmes hasn't done anything major since "Batman Begins," but her recent smaller roles include "Mad Money," "The Romantics," "The Son of No One" and "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."

Marc Webb confirmed for 'Spider-Man' reboot

I'm really sick of all these recent "Spider-Man" news. I really stopped caring after hearing that Sony would reboot the franchise without Sam Raimi and Tobery Maguire. What's the point in doing this so early?

Anyway, the studio confirmed Marc Webb will direct the new "Spider-Man" film. Webb is known best for directing last summer's hit flick "(500) Days of Summer." The new Spidey flick will hit theaters 2012.

James Vanderbilt wrote the script for the film, which follows Peter Parker in high school. I know it sounds sucky, and chances are it will be. Anyway, the film will surely make money and provoke sequels.

Meanwhile, Risky Business reports Webb has option for two sequels. Apparently, the budget for this new film will be set around $80 million, and even the actors are rumored to be relatively unknown.

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Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston in new comedy?

It looks like Adam Sander and Jennifer Aniston may get together on the big screen and do a lot of pretending in Columbia's upcoming comedy "Pretend Wife." Both actors are in talks for the lead roles.

Plot details are kept under wraps, but the title could give you an idea what this romantic comedy will be about. The Hollywood Reporter says Allan Loeb ("21") and Timothy Dowling penned the script.

Sandler's Happy Madison is producing, and Dennis Dugan is in talks to direct the film. He previously helmed "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry."

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Eisenberg, Timberlake sign up for 'Facebook' film

These friends are confirmed: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield have joined the cast of David Fincher's upcoming Facebook movie "The Social Network," which Columbia Pictures is developing.

Variety today confirmed Eisenberg will slip into the role of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while Timberlake will play Napster co-founder Sean Parker. Garfield will portray Eduardo Saverin, one of the site's co-founders.

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Columbia is developing 'Bad Boys 3'

The "Bad Boys" will soon return to the big screen, as Columbia Pictures is prepping a third installment in the popular series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. "Bad Boys 3" is only in the earliest developmental stages right now, but I'm sure we'll hear more about it once a script nears completion.

The Hollywood Reporter says Peter Craig is set to write the third film. Plot details are unknown at this point, but the film will follow the latest adventures of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. No deals have been made with either Smith or Lawrence at this stage.

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Ericson Core to direct 'Return of Xander Cage'

The new "xXx" flick has found its director! Ericson Core is set to direct that totally unnecessary action sequel "XXX: The Return of Xander Cage," which Columbia is developing with Vin Diesel set to return as the lead character. Neal H. Moritz is producing.

Core's recent directing gigs include 2006's sports drama "Invincible" with Mark Wahlberg. Rob Cohen, who helmed the first "xXx," was attached to return as well, but he recently dropped out to direct "Medieval" instead.

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Bad news: Columbia hires 'Hancock 2' writers

Remember "Hancock," that terrible superhero movie with Will Smith as a drunk who gets an image makeover? Yeah, THAT sucker. It's a mystery to me that anybody out there would ever want to see a sequel, but apparently that's the case, at least according to Columbia, which is developing "Hancock 2."

Yep, the disastrous film that grossed a shocking $624 million worldwide gets a sequel, and according to the Hollywood Reporter, Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara are set to write the script. Both have solid experience in television, working on shows such as "The Shield," "Crash" and "24" in several capacities.

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Gus van Sant may direct 'Restless'

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gus van Sant may team up with Columbia to direct a film entitled "Restless" from a script by Jason Lew. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are set to produce the film, about which not much is known at this point. Plot details are being kept under wraps.

The Hollywood Reporter says "Restless" is a contemporary take on young love. That's all we get to know about it for now. Apparently, it's a script filled with originality, this according to those who've read and helped develop it. Columbia is set to get this one into production as soon as possible.

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So what's up with Brad Pitt's 'Moneyball'?

Just a couple of weeks ago we learned Columbia pulled the plug on Steven Soderbergh's sports drama "Moneyball" and put it into turnaround, but according to new reports, the studio is still on board.

So what's actually going on with this thing? Will we ever get to see it? According to Variety, yes, we will, but not from Soderbergh, whose rewrite of Steven Zaillian's script failed to impress studio head Amy Pascal.

Pascal's move to halt the project after disliking Soderbergh's vision came as an unexpected move, particularly because the film was all ready to shoot with Brad Pitt in the lead. Despite Soderbergh's exit, Pitt is apparently still attached.

Aaron Sorkin ("Charlie Wilson's War") has now been brought on-board to rewrite the script. The film is based on Michael Lewis' book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning An Unfair Game."

The central story follows Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, who used sophisticated computer analysis system to piece together a team that regularly contended for the World Series.

Columbia abandons Soderbergh's 'Moneyball'?

Some of Steven Soderbergh's movies have made a lot of money and received great critical praise, but that's not enough for Columbia Pictures to fully trust him with some of his projects.

Indeed, Columbia has pulled the plug on Soderbergh's upcoming sports drama "Moneyball," the big-screen adaptation of Michael Lewis' book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning An Unfair Game."

Variety reports Columbia's chairwoman Amy Pascal put the project into turnaround after she read Soderbergh's rewrite of Steven Zaillian's script. Well, she didn't like it, and she's no longer ready to invest into the project anymore.

This comes as quite an unexpected move, especially because Soderbergh and Pitt were gearing up for the shoot already. At this stage, it's not sure who will stay on-board or what will happen to "Moneyball."

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